


A single flickering soul

by GalaxyFeathers



Series: The line between you and I [2]
Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Dickson POV, Gen, Spoilers, dickson accidentally becomes a dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28238355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyFeathers/pseuds/GalaxyFeathers
Summary: Deep in Valak Mountain, a lone survivor is found within Ose Tower.(Part of a series, but could kind of work on its own.)
Relationships: Dickson & Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles)
Series: The line between you and I [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901485
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	A single flickering soul

The beam shooting out from the crystal tower called Dickson down the frozen mountain. It called him to seek out his God, to find the divine blade that was sealed away by those wretched High Entia so long ago.  
Dickson had no idea what to expect when he pried open the door to the Harict Chapel, but it wasn't to find the corpses of the entire expedition team strewn around the interior. It was dark, but just enough light filtered in through the door for him to witness the scene.

  
All life had been sucked out of the room, the cold of death seeping into his bones as he stepped inside to investigate.   
The sight of the divine Monado glowing with ether, combined with the bodies barren of any life, confirmed his suspicions. Lord Zanza had decided to feed on these Homs.  
But then, why pass up the chance to take one of the team members as a vessel? Any of them would have made a decent one.  
A shuffle of clothing caught his attention. Down on the ground, underneath the pedestal, there was a small boy. Dickson crouched down, and watched the boy exhale a shaky puff of warm air. He couldn't help his grin; this boy, the only survivor of his Lord's hunger for ether, must have been selected as a vessel. Of course, this was still only a child; but what was a decade or two to Dickson, or to the creator of the world itself? Zanza's revival was soon, he could be patient a little bit longer.

  
The Monado was carefully prepared to be transported, using rope and other supplies scavenged from the bodies to secure it to Dickson's back. The child would be more difficult, with being an entire Homs that would potentially start squirming, rather than an inanimate sword.  
Nevertheless, he picked up the boy and carried him in his arms out of the tower.  
\--  
Climbing back up Valak Mountain was much harder than getting down to the tower. Especially with an unconscious child in tow, limiting him to only one arm to keep himself steady. He didn't even make it to the upper arm before nightfall, forcing him to find a cave to hide from the elements in.  
Dickson prepared a fire near the entrance and set the boy down by it, hoping the warmth would stir the child.

"I see you've found him," a smooth voice said from behind Dickson. There, leaning against the frozen cave wall, was a silver haired Homs who looked out of place on the mountain with his light jacket. He appeared young, barely an adult. But Dickson knew better.  
"'Bout time you showed your face, Alvis. Where've you been hiding while I was trekking down this damned mountain?"  
"Observing. Waiting for you to collect him," Alvis said, tilting his head towards the boy.   
Dickson sighed, running a hand down his face. "Fine, keep being cryptic. Do you know anything about the kid? Or what Lord Zanza has planned?"

  
Alvis stepped away from the wall and towards the sleeping child.   
"The boy is named Shulk. He is four years old, and is the vessel chosen for Zanza by the Passage of Fate."  
"Hah! I knew there was a reason he left the kid alive."  
"Technically, he did not." Alvis crouched down to inspect Shulk.  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"Shulk is dead, yet lives on thanks to the divine will of Zanza. Without him giving life to the body, there would not even be air in the child's lungs."  
Dickson moved to join Alvis near the kid, nodding in vague understanding. "So, Zanza revived him after killing him?"  
"It will become clear in due time. He will need some special attention as he grows up to ensure his health. Ether deficiency will be a consistent problem, and he will get sick easier than his peers until he is closer to adulthood, along with some other issues here and there. Most of these issues will be resolved by the time he can use the Monado, however."  
"I think that's the only time you've ever told me something useful." Even if it wasn't the question he asked.  
"It is Zanza's will for his vessel to grow up healthy and strong. I will trust that you will see to this."  
Alvis placed a hand on Shulk's shoulder, and glowing white ether flowed into the child. Shulk began to stir, and Alvis stood up.

"Before I take my leave, I will warn you of this: act under the assumption that whatever happens to Shulk, will also happen to Zanza. Zanza sleeps within this boy, and Shulk will be crucial to his revival. Do you understand?"  
"Yeah, I get it," Dickson said. He had to make sure nothing too bad happened to the kid, easy.  
Alvis nodded. "Good. Farewell then, Dickson. I will contact you if I need to pass on any information."  
The Seer vanished out of the cave, as if he had never been there in the first place.  
\---  
The boy did not understand what was going on when he awoke, but he knew someone was carrying him, and that it was cold. He knew he didn't like the cold, or being carried, but peeking out to see the endless blanket of snow told him this was for the best.  
In the arms of the unknown yet familiar man, he could safely stay warm and watch the glowing crystals and their beams of light stream up into the sky.  
It was beautiful to him, the mystery of why this place was this way, and the calm of the early morning.  
The boy did not feel trapped. And knowing that, at least, let him accept whatever was happening.  
He was not trapped, and he was warm, and he was not alone. That was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> I had my draft for this basically just sitting for months because I was struggling with a part I ended up cutting out. It was for the best though, that part will eventually become its own thing later in writing this series.  
> Hope you enjoyed this! Don't forget you're free (and encouraged) to leave a comment!


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